Tools of the Trade

There are three common materials used for cauldrons in Great Britain:

1. Pewter is the best for beginning potions work, as it is the slowest and least expensive standard cauldron. Pewter is a metal alloy (a material composed of at least two metals) that is traditionally at least 85% tin with copper, bismuth, antimony, and occasionally lead making up the rest of its composition. The earliest piece of pewter found dates back to 1450 BCE in an ancient Egyptian tomb.


2. Brass brews potions at a medium level speed. Potions brewed with brass tend to complete their brewing processes in approximately 10% less time than those brewed with pewter. Brass is also a metal alloy composed mostly of the metals zinc and copper. Alloys of copper and zinc have been found in the western portions of Asia and the East Mediterranean dating as far back as the third millennium before the Common Era.


3. Copper is the fastest brewing cauldron material, and as a rule of thumb, tends to brew potions in approximately 10% less time than brass cauldrons. Copper is not an alloy, but rather a pure chemical element. There is evidence that copper was used as far back as nine to ten thousand years ago, and the Chalcolithic Period, commonly known as the Copper Age.

On occasion, other materials are used for cauldrons in Great Britain, but these materials tend to be a bit rarer and a good deal more expensive. Gold and silver cauldrons are two such examples of this. Finally, the fire crab also makes a wonderful cauldron, but owing to their frequent poaching for their shells as well as the gems found on their shells, international wizarding laws have created sanctions protecting colonies in the Fiji Islands.

The definition of measure, also known as standard measure. Sometimes you will see some potion recipes that state "mix 3 measures of Flobberworm mucus" or any similar instruction. Simply put, a measure is a standardized unit of volume, similar to a tablespoon or a teaspoon. However, a standard measure is slightly larger, and contains approximately 40 mL of material.

Brewing Processes

When brewing potions it is good idea to prep the ingredients beforehand. Once you have all of your ingredients, your plan of attack, and your cauldron heated, it’s time to start adding your ingredients.

You should always add the ingredients in the right order, as the magical and thermal energies that precipitate the brewing cause certain ingredients to react with one another at certain times.

Another important component is stirring with your wand. Hold your wand overthe cauldron, say the incantation, and move your wand in slow, steady circles. That said, stirring the potion in the correct direction, either counterclockwise or clockwise is very important, as is stirring the right amount of times.

Potion brew time is the total amount of time it takes to brew a potion. We measure the active time you spend brewing your potion as Estimated Brew Time (EBT). Though you don’t have to be involved the whole brew time, you can’t leave the potion alone.

Currently, the most common storing mechanisms used for potions storage are glass or crystal phials. Some potions need to sit for a while before it can be used. Most texts will list the sum of the EBT and this maturity as the Total Brew Time (TBT). Always label your phials clearly with the name of the potion, effect, ingredients, date brewed, expiration date, usage, and any warnings about allergies or side effects.